


Overcast Skies

by swedishaizen



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:48:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24346774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swedishaizen/pseuds/swedishaizen
Summary: Orihime gets taken to Hueco Mundo by Ulquiorra Cifer under direct order from Sosuke Aizen. What will happen to her? How will she be treated? Why does Aizen want her there? For some reason, she finds an odd presence surprisingly comfortable, which worries her.
Relationships: Aizen Sousuke/Inoue Orihime
Kudos: 8





	Overcast Skies

“A girl like you should smile more often. Overcast skies blot out the sun, and that always brings people's spirits down. So why not let the sun shine...For just a while longer?”

Orihime felt strangely warm after hearing those words. He basically complimented her, something she never thought she would hear. It was as if he genuinely had a positive look at her and didn’t look at her as some part of the plan. Somehow it was the sweetest thing she had heard anyone say in her eighteen years of life.

As innocent at Orihime is, she is well aware of the predicament she is in. She was taken against her will by Ulquiorra Cifer and the orders came Directly from Sōsuke Aizen himself. They had already had a previous encounter and she was well aware who the true Sōsuke Aizen was. He was truly evil. He betrayed everyone in the Soul Society, he wanted to kill Rukia for the hogyoku, and most importantly, he almost sliced Ichigo in half with one slash of his zanpakutō. 

Orihime thought to herself how in the world can I find his words comforting after all this?

Aizen ordered everyone in the Arrancar Army, the ten Espadas included, to not lay a finger on Orihime. This took all of them by surprise. Why her? What is so special about her that she, a human, gets more respect and better treatment than the powerful Espada and Arrancars? They felt as if something odd was happening in Hueco Mundo, but no one in their right minds had the guts to question Aizen because they all knew how that would end.

As Orihime was brought to her cell, she couldn’t help but wonder herself why she was getting this special treatment. She thought of this as she gazed upon the dark Hueco Mundo sky. The only thing that lit Hueco Mundo was the large crescent moon in the sky, but she did not like what she saw. 

The only thing that was visible was the vast lands of sand and the dead trees. It was a sad sight for Orihime. She loved nature and loved the look of trees. She thought they were always so pretty, so beautiful. The thought of it made her sad, the fact that she may never get the chance to see it ever again. 

At that point, she was struggling with everything she had to hold back the tears. She thought of everything she would never get the chance to see again. She would never get the chance to see her favorite places. She would never be able to eat her favorite meals that she loved. The saddest thought of them all is the fact that she would never be able to see her friends who she loved like family.

She would never be able to see Rukia again, Uryu, Chad, or even Tatsuki. The one that hurt the most is the fact that she was never going to see Ichigo again. As soon as the first tear fell from her eye down her cheek, she thought of what Aizen had said to her earlier. In a place like this, so dark and so gloomy, how could he think of sunshine? She also thought what about her made Aizen feel this way, someone who seems to have such a cynical view of the world and her, someone who only sees the good in people. They were the antithesis of each other so why would he hold this high opinion of her out of all people.

The thought that Aizen held this high opinion of her stopped the tears from flowing. She felt comforted by the fact that the person who was ruling over this prison called Hueco Mundo was giving her special treatment. She really was allowed to do as she pleased with the exception of never leaving the palace. After about a week or so she got used to it, which scared her deep down inside, but kept her going and made her able to get through the days. 

She still thought about all the things she did her first night at Hueco Mundo every night since, but the one thing that always comforted her was what Aizen said to her.

“A girl like you should smile more often. Overcast skies blot out the sun, and that always brings people's spirits down. So why not let the sun shine...For just a while longer?”

Every night she thought about it more and more. A girl like me? What does that mean? She also started to develop somewhat of an admiration for Aizen after the way he’s treated her. He’s so gentle with her and kind and his presence is always calming her. 

How is the enemy of my best friend the one who is comforting me the most right now. I’ve seen all the evil and destruction he has caused, but with me he’s different. It’s almost like he’s someone he can’t be with anyone else.

  
Sōsuke Aizen was sitting in the throne room of the palace, at the head of the table where the Espada meetings were held when he was approached by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. 

“Lord Aizen why must this human girl get better treatment than the others?” Grimmjow asked in shock because he had never seen Aizen treat anyone with such respect, not even Grimmjow himself, a loyal servant. He thought it was so out of character and the question had been burning inside of him.

“Grimmjow this is all a part of my plan. You will soon see what my true intentions are.”

Grimmjow wasn’t surprised that this was Aizen’s response, short and mysterious. He still felt as if Aizen was hiding something but he knew after he asked that he would just have to wait and see like the rest. Grimmjow thought of another solution, he would go and ask Orihime Inoue himself why Aizen was acting this way. 

Gin then headed to Orihime’s cell. Grimmjow felt as if Aizen was somewhat emotionally attached to Orihime because there is no reason to be comforting someone that is just being used as a pawn for his plan.

As Grimmjow eventually arrived at the cell he just couldn’t help but blurt it out. “Orihime, why is it you’re getting special treatment from Lord Aizen? What is it he finds so special about you? You’re Ichigo’s best friend, why would any friend of Ichigo’s be treated this way?”

As Orihime heard Grimmjow ask this question, she truly had no idea. She thought about this question every night, but somehow at this moment the words flew right out of her.

“I don’t know why he treats me so special but I feel as if I don’t deserve it. After spending all this time with him I feel as if he isn’t a bad person at all, just misunderstood. Lord Aizen seems like a different person when he is around me, someone he is only comfortable showing when he is with me. He is sweet, caring, and truly a calming and comforting presence anytime I am around him. That is why I enjoy being here with him. Deep down Aizen has a good heart and just is lonely. He needs someone that can be his light in this dark dark place.”

Grimmjow laughed. “You think you can change Lord Aizen? Lord Aizen is evil incarnate. There is no way in hell that he would ever have a change of heart. Besides, even if there was the smallest chance he could, what makes YOU think that you could change his heart. You’re just a friend of Ichigo’s, someone who is just here as bait for a part of Aizen's plan. I don’t know why you-”

“That’s enough Grimmjow...” The sound of Aizen’s voice made Grimmjow freeze. When Grimmjow heard these words his heart dropped in fear. It almost made him drop to his knees. Grimmjow didn’t expect Aizen of all people to come here while he was interrogating Orihime. Why does he care anyways? What was about to happen?

“Grimmjow, step away from Orihime before I make you regret it.” Aizen, still calm as ever, looked at Orihime to see if she was alright. For a second he genuinely worried that Grimmjow had struck a nerve with Orihime. 

Grimmjow knew right away that the best decision for him right now was to step away from Orihime. How did Lord Aizen know I was here? I just saw him in the throne room not too long before this. Did he know I was going to come and interrogate Orihime?

“Grimmjow how foolish of you. Did you honestly think that I wouldn’t find you here threatening Orihime Inoue? We both know that nothing goes on here without my knowledge, did you think you could snake past me without my knowledge. It’s almost unfathomable.”

“Lord Aizen, I just had to know why you were treating her this was as if you had some sort of an emotional attachment to Orihime. Something I had never seen before, something you had called before a weakness.” 

“Orihime is welcomed here by my choice and my authority. There is no need to question it. How I feel about Orihime is unimportant. I make the rules and you follow them Grimmjow, that’s our dynamic. If there’s a problem we can-”

“No no no, no problem at all. You were right Lord Aizen, I was completely out of line. Orihime, I’m sorry and let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you..”

Grimmjow left the room in a hurry, he knew that there would be dire consequences to his actions. He knew that he slipped up. All this planning and all of the loyalty he has tried to show to Aizen would all be thrown out the window due to this one slip up. 

“Orihime, are you alright?” Aizen said to Orihime. He walked towards her and made sure she was okay. For eighteen years in her life, at that moment she had never felt like that before. She had never felt so comforted before. She felt as if she should be scared, but for some reason Aizen’s presence was so comforting she couldn’t help but resist the urge to run into his arms to avoid any awkwardness. 

“Yes I’m okay! Thanks for asking!” She had the brightest smile on her face as she answered. This smile was so warming and bright to Aizen. Aizen felt as if she could light up all of Las Noches with that smile. Cheesy right?

  
Aizen also wondered why he was acting like this. He always felt emotionally attached to people. He always felt as if the only person you should ever look out for is yourself. For some reason, him watching out for Orihime didn’t bother him like he thought it should. In fact, it was no trouble at all, he felt as if it didn’t distract him from anything he had planned. 

“Aizen could I ask you something? Why are you so nice to me? My best friend is Ichigo and he wants to defeat you and spoil your plan. Why would you want to be nice to me and comfort me? Why is it that you make me feel special like this? Is this a part of your plan?”

“No, this has nothing to do with my plans. In fact this has nothing to do with Ichigo. Do you remember what I told you about your smile? Everytime I think of you I think of that so I can’t help but want to keep you smiling for as long as possible. It’s just that it’s a pleasure to see. That’s all Orihime.”

Orihime couldn’t help but feel as if Aizen was incredibly lonely. As powerful and intelligent as he was, it must be hard on him to establish anything with anyone because he feels so disconnected from them. She sensed this early on and honestly after all this comforting, wanted to help in any way she could. For some reason, she started to see this monster in a different way. She started to see him as someone with emotions that are so bottled up beneath the surface. She started to see him as someone she wanted to help and comfort. She saw him as a friend. From this point on, she was going to try to change Aizen for the better. She also wanted to make sure he doesn’t feel as lonely as he does. 

After that night, Orihime vowed to keep her promise to herself. She started to try to think of different ways she could comfort him. She did feel as if she wouldn’t be able to help him, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying. She was simply going to observe him and see if she picks up on anything 

She still thought it was weird for her to be feeling this way, however after a while she just thought of this as something she was just meant to do. She had always wanted to be there for her friends in the past, so why is this any different? She just had to find out what Aizen liked.

After several dinners it was clear Aizen really enjoyed Tofu. She thought that this was a good thing to note so maybe she could make dinner especially for him. Orihime was always known to have a weird taste when it came to the dishes she prepared. She thought maybe she could make something with tofu and he would enjoy it. The only problem was she started doubting herself when she thought of the possibility of him not liking the dish, being reminded by the numerous times she tried cooking for her friends and them disliking her cooking, but being way too nice to tell her the truth. 

She decided to just sit there and see if she could think of anything. As she was thinking, she got lost in a trance. She ended up staring out the window, looking at what she saw the first night here, the crescent moon and the dead trees and sand.

“What made you pick this place Sōsuke?” Orihime asked curiously. She always wondered how someone so sweet hearted could find comfort in a place like this.

“This is where hollows are from Orihime, in order to build the arrancar army, I had to come here, there was never another place I could go.”

“Do you ever miss the Soul Society? I know you disliked the people, but surely there’s gotta be something to miss from somewhere you spent so much of your life.”

“I do miss the calligraphy I did back in the Soul Society. It gave me a sense of peace, something that helped time go by I guess.”

“Why don’t you ever pick it back up? It’s never too late!”

“Why are you so concerned Orihime? I’ve never heard you ask so many questions before?”

“Well Sōsuke, I noticed the other night when you stopped Gin, you just seemed very concerned for me. I started growing worried for you as well. I can just sense that you’re kinda lonely here, and I want you to know that you aren’t alone. I want to help in any way possible. Please, can I?”

As soon as Orihime said this Aizen grew shocked. Was she starting to see stuff about himself that no one else has? Is she starting to genuinely care for him? Aizen was confused. He really had no idea why she wanted to help him in the first place. After all Ichigo is his enemy and her best friend as she said.

Aizen debated whether or not he should tell Orihime how he feels. He always viewed that as a sign of weakness, and everyone around him has always viewed him as cold, but Orihime saw right through that. Orihime saw that he had these genuine emotions for Orihime, that he liked comforting her and being with her, despite their differences. In all honesty, the thought was so wrong but felt so right. 

“Orihime you don’t have to do anything. I know our time here will come to an end and have prepared for that day. I know Ichigo is going to come to save you and to be honest I won’t be here when that happens. I do care for you Orihime, which is a weak thing for me to say, but you have really made me feel warm these past couple of days. The fact that I feel this way is exactly the reason why you are getting this special treatment. I don’t want any harm done to you. In fact, I shouldn’t have brought you into this war anyways but it’s too late for that. Take care of yourself Orihime, I’ll see you when our paths cross again.”

Aizen then left the room. He left Orihime there who was blushing uncontrollably. When she heard that she felt so warm and so loved that she couldn’t help but feel strong emotions towards him. The cold Aizen just said the sweetest stuff to her and showed emotion, and most of all she could tell he really cared for her.

This left her conflicted, as Aizen hinted that Ichigo would be coming very soon. This would mean that her being with Aizen would come to an end. She wanted to keep her promise but how could she. As soon as she gets out of here, Aizen will be all alone again. She felt sick, sick that her friend was going to be all alone again

The top is lonely for anyone, regardless of who it is. Every king needs a queen. Orihime couldn’t help but wonder if she stayed around, would things be different for Aizen. She also had one thought left on her mind. She fantasised about that moment going different than it did. She thought of the possibility of Aizen kissing her lips and she started blushing even more. It’s something she was feeling guilty about wanting, but felt like she desperately wanted it to happen.

  
Unfortunately their paths never met again, but their lives changed forever. Aizen was more protective over the things he cared about, and Orihime was there for her friends as much as possible. Everyday since that night Aizen opened up to her, she thought about that night. She thought about what she could have done differently, but most importantly she thought about what would’ve happened if they kissed.

Orihime remained hopeful that their paths would cross again, and Aizen stayed somewhat open to the idea that he would help the Soul Society in order to have a chance to see his favorite person once again. Orihime Inoue and Sōsuke Aizen, what could have been. The antithesis of each other, but what the other lacked the other had an abundance of. That’s why they both felt and wished that the night had gone differently. There will always be one thing that Aizen said that will stick with Orihime forever. 

“A girl like you should smile more often. Overcast skies blot out the sun, and that always brings people's spirits down. So why not let the sun shine...For just a while longer?”


End file.
